Thursday, February 28, 2013

The Joy of Walking



Walking is my favorite exercise besides the corpse pose in yoga, because the benefits are far greater than effort required.  Reasons to start walking are well-known: lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, better fitness, and improved mood (see the Mayo Clinic, just one of millions of sources who recommend walking).  However, sometimes, like when there's six inches of snow on the ground, it's hard to find motivation to leave the house.  This is what I do to keep it from being a chore:

  • Wear headphones.  I've been listening to music, podcasts, or Spanish-language courses depending on my mood.  For podcasts, I recommend either the terrifying Pseudopod short horror fiction or the edifying (and often surprising) How Stuff Works.  For language instruction, I like to use the no-nonsense method taught by former WWII spy Michel Thomas.
  • Bring a companion.  It's easier to socialize while walking then running because you won't be out of breath, and you'll walk further with a partner. 
They have very different missions.
Or two.
  • Solve a problem.  It's dangerous to be distracted when driving or biking, but walking is low-speed, so you can focus on something that's bothering you and analyze it.  You can turn it around and look at it from all angles, and then leave it on the walk.  This may help you sleep later, because when you are in bed your problem won't be there with you.
  • Hunt snowmen.  I challenged myself to find and take pictures of all the snowmen in my neighborhood. Depending on where you walk, you could instead look for stained glass windows, odd mailboxes, birds, street art, or different kinds of trees.

I like that someone left a bottle of Coca-Cola in case they got thirsty.

  • Practice mindful awareness.  Also known as a form of meditation, this is a technique in which you increase your awareness of your surroundings and focus on being open to them.  You may listen to the crunch of your shoes, look up at the blueness of the sky, and feel the breeze on your face.  It doesn't have to be all positive, but you don't have to categorize things as bad or good.  I noticed a pain in my shoulder, and then realized that birds where singing though it seemed to cold for them. Both sensations were a part of the experience.
Have a nice walk!